Excel beginner unique remove duplicates data cleaning

How to Extract Unique Values in Excel 365?

Extract Unique Values is a Excel function that extracts a list of unique values from the specified range, removing any duplicates.. Formula Genius generates and validates this formula automatically from a plain-English prompt.

Struggling with duplicate entries in your data? Use the UNIQUE function to easily extract a list of unique values.

The Formula

Prompt

"Extract a list of unique values from a column that contains duplicates, in Excel 365"

Excel
=UNIQUE(A1:A10)

This formula extracts a list of unique values from the specified range, removing any duplicates.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

  1. Identify the range of cells containing duplicates (e.g., A1:A10).
  2. Use the UNIQUE function to process the specified range.
  3. The function scans the range for unique entries.
  4. It returns an array of unique values, omitting duplicates.

Edge Cases & Warnings

  • The range contains only duplicates, resulting in a single unique value.
  • The range is empty, which will return an empty array.
  • The range includes blank cells, which may or may not be counted as unique depending on context.

Examples

Prompt

"A1:A10 contains {1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 4}"

Excel
{1, 2, 3, 4}
Prompt

"A1:A10 contains {'apple', 'banana', 'apple', 'orange'}"

Excel
{'apple', 'banana', 'orange'}

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use UNIQUE with non-contiguous ranges?

No, UNIQUE only works with contiguous ranges.

Does UNIQUE preserve the order of values?

Yes, UNIQUE maintains the order of the first occurrence of each unique value.

What happens if I change the original data?

The UNIQUE function will automatically update the results if the original data changes.

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